Chu Yi ignored the calls of the crowd, maintaining his silence.
His consciousness immersed itself in his mind, transforming into an omniscient and omnipotent god. He felt that he had devoured the Tailor’s Mysterious Power; something new had appeared within his body, along with a desire to strip the flesh and bones from others and fashion them into dresses.
The answer quickly revealed itself.
Having devoured the Tailor, he himself had become an embodiment of a part of the banquet’s rules!
As long as he dared to act, this Mysterious Power could continue to grow, allowing him to comprehend a unique curse and gift the Cursed Dress to others, reducing them to puppets.
In other words, within this banquet, he had already replaced the Tailor. He was fully capable of wielding the Tailor’s abilities and controlling the banquet’s rules!
But this Mysterious Power was still too weak; he needed to "consume" a few more bizarre entities.
Chu Yi had a sudden realization and exited his state of omniscience and omnipotence.
This banquet was profitable. Relying on the String of Destiny, he would devour the bizarre entities one by one, turning from guest to host, becoming the master of the banquet.
The most critical point was that this was the causal factor determining the outcome. Perhaps it involved helping the Moon Princess solve the banquet’s problems in exchange for Divinity.
"All who come are guests. Allow me to offer this cup of wine to everyone," the Clown Gentleman said with a smile, sitting down elegantly. His gaze fixed on the motionless King of Black Robes, a cold sneer in his heart. "Of course, if you don’t drink this cup, you’ll have no right to continue participating in the banquet."
The Tailor was merely a rule of the outer circle, used to screen guests. But upon entering the center of the banquet, all the bizarre entities were a single, interconnected whole. It would be impossible to have a second stroke of luck.
As soon as his words fell, everyone’s expressions turned ugly. They stared at the bubbling, blood-red wine before them, mixed with unknown severed limbs and incredibly viscous. Each person fought back nausea, yet simultaneously felt an urge to drink it.
However, if they drank it, much like with the bizarre dress, their Souls would be twisted, they would fall into the Abyss, and eventually degenerate into corrupted Demons.
But if they didn’t drink, they would violate the rules and be eliminated from the banquet.
Despair filled everyone. This rule seemed unbreakable; their only hope lay with the two powerhouses, the Moon Princess and the King of Black Robes.
The rules derived from Forbidden Items are truly unsolvable. Lu Qi deeply felt the terror of these rules. In the eyes of the world, a Dawn Star was already a formidable power capable of overseeing a region, but under these rules, they were completely at the mercy of others.
He was about to ask the King of Black Robes for help when he saw Chu Yi be the first to raise his wine glass. Chu Yi’s hand twisted, splitting into a dozen fleshy tentacles, and he downed the wine in one gulp.
Authority of Flesh and Blood—Devour.
The crowd was shocked by the King of Black Robes’ audacity, yet they also felt it was somehow expected. Perhaps this individual had joined the banquet merely for amusement; how could his situation be compared to their own life-or-death struggle?
Oh, how foolish, the Clown Gentleman sneered. To actually drink such a high-concentration Wine of Descent. No matter how strong his power, it will drain away, be injected into the banquet’s rules, and fuel the core of the Joyful Banquet.
After a long moment, Chu Yi frowned and made a sound of displeasure. "Pah! This is disgusting! Is this how you treat your guests?"
"Bartender! Get over here!" he bellowed, his voice like a great bell. The sudden shout startled everyone, nearly scaring their souls out of their bodies.
Yet everyone remained deathly silent. In a way, the King of Black Robes was more terrifying than the banquet itself.
A guest had complained. The Bartender, as the one primarily responsible, faceless and entirely crimson, moved forward, adhering to its duty to serve the guests. As long as one had drunk the wine, one was qualified to comment on it.
At this moment, one of Chu Yi’s hands emitted a faint white glow, like a Firefly, sparking with incandescent arcs of electricity.
The Bartender, caught off guard, was bowing deeply, as if to apologize for providing such terrible service.
Wait, this is bad! The Clown Gentleman’s pupils contracted. He had seen through Chu Yi’s plan but was bound by the rules and could not intervene.
The next moment, the Bartender’s head was struck, and a large hole was smashed into it.
"This wine is so terrible, I’ll take your life as compensation!" Chu Yi sneered.
The Divine Hand, wreathed in a Star Ring, pulsed with brilliant colors. Like a Beast’s fangs, it pierced through the Bartender’s head.
The banquet’s punishment did not descend.
Instead, the Bartender let out a pained shriek, its body contorting. Numerous strings that constructed its Life Chart were wantonly destroyed. Thick streams of color flowed into the Divine Hand, which enjoyed a grand feast, eating its fill!
Everyone was stunned, the entire hall in an uproar, their faces masks of disbelief.
The Moon Princess’s usually impassive eyes flashed with a peculiar light once more. Her apprehension towards the King of Black Robes deepened.
Truly a Taboo, not to be judged by common sense. If it were her, she would use moonlight to neutralize the wine, summon the Bartender, and then take the opportunity to ambush and kill the opponent.
"Stop! Stop him!" The one in the most agony was, of course, the Clown Gentleman. Being connected as one with the banquet, he keenly sensed the Bartender’s bizarre power transferring to the King of Black Robes.
This Taboo... he’s trying to seize control of the Joyful Banquet!
Faced with this scene, bound by the rules, he could do nothing. It was like being in a locked room, tied to a chair, forced to witness one’s girlfriend being intimately violated by a blond scoundrel at point-blank range, eyes practically splitting with rage.
In no time, the Bartender’s entire body trembled. Its internal structural threads became chaotic, like a boiling pressure cooker. Then, with a BANG, it exploded in all directions, spraying a dazzling radiance.
At this time, Chu Yi’s black robe writhed. Countless mouths emerged from it, filled with menacingly sharp teeth. They opened and closed, emitting a chaotic, grating sound that was utterly blood-curdling.
All the brilliant light was engulfed by this unnameable entity, devoured utterly.
Instantly, the entire banquet hall fell into an eerie silence, with only a faint, rustling chewing sound echoing through it.
"He feeds on the bizarre and enslaves Evil God’s Favored! This King of Black Robes is definitely not to be trifled with!"
"The origin of Taboos lies in the Dark Ages! The King of Black Robes has walked forth from the River of Time, possessing unimaginable Mighty Power!"
"What is his Cultivation level? Radiant Moon? Or peak Radiant Moon?"
This scene abruptly terrified everyone.
Under their shocked and fearful gazes, the shadow stirred and transformed back into an elegant, black-robed silhouette. He wiped his small mouth with his hand and cast a pointed look at the Clown Gentleman on the main throne:
"This pre-dinner dessert wasn’t bad. Is there more?"
Provocation! This was blatant provocation!
Your bizarre little setup was merely an appetizer before my main course. As for who the main course is, that’s self-evident.
Everyone was astonished. Deep down, they couldn’t help but feel a sense of schadenfreude, a strange, dark satisfaction. One reason for this was that the King of Black Robes was, after all, on their side. At worst, he was a neutral force! Their sense of security instantly maxed out!
"Heh." The Clown Gentleman could no longer maintain his initial joyful demeanor. He offered a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.
For someone who enjoys amusement, one can seek it out, but they themselves must not become the amusement! My joy should be built upon your suffering!